Kappabashi: Where the super chefs go shopping

Most
tourists know Kappabashi -- if they’ve heard of it at all -- as a place to buy joke souvenirs like plastic sushi or superhero-themed rice crackers. But local
chefs and restaurateurs daily rely on this food-supply wholesale district for their
sashimi knives, signboards and everything in between.

In
other words, it’s the culinary lifeblood of a city whose restaurants brandish more
Michelin stars than Paris and London combined.

Meet the Jumbo Cook

All roads lead to Kappabashi's Jumbo Chef.Take
exit number 3 out of Tawaracho Station and walk west along Asakusa Dori for a
few minutes, then look up -- you’ll have arrived in Kappabashi when you see the
giant chef's head atop a store called Niimi.

Appropriately
dubbed “Jumbo Cook,” the 11-meter-tall, 10-ton sculpture greets visitors to the
neighborhood in more than a figurative sense, as the main Kappabashi Dougu shopping
street runs north from this landmark.

Niimi
itself is a two-floor emporium stocking all manner of professional gear, from
saucepans and hand-crafted knives to sake decanters and accessories for waitstaff.

Next
up: lacquerware. One block north of Niimi, Tanaka satisfies the cravings
of souvenir hunters and culinary pros alike.

The
shop sources its utensils, serving trays and bento boxes (as well as more
esoteric fare like soba-flour rolling pins) from Japan’s leading producers and
regions, including Echizen, Yamanaka, Wajima and Aizu.

The
soup bowls festooned with seasonal flowers -- there are 12 varieties, one for
each month -- make particularly classy birthday gifts. Many items are under
¥1,000, making it a much better deal than the likes of Ginza.

Sharpens you up

There
are several professional knife shops in Kappabashi, but Kamata, which lies two blocks up the
street from Tanaka, stands out by dint of its English-speaking staff and the badass
grinding wheels lurking just inside the entrance.

That’s
not to say the selection of artisanal blades is dull -- the shop stocks two
dozen kinds of sashimi knives alone, from such well-regarded domestic
manufacturers as Misono (starting around ¥11,000). Personalized engraving is
free.

Raise the red lantern at Soshoku.

A
more offbeat venue is Kappabashi Soshoku, just across the large intersection that divides the south part of the
neighborhood from the north.

Head here for the signature aka-chochin lanterns that
hang outside traditional Japanese bars and restaurants. Collapsible and light,
they make funky souvenirs and are available for as little as ¥3,000.